Janny Sikazwe probably knew that he’d done something wrong when he saw eight men in hi-vis jackets with “security” written on the back entering the field to allow him to safely return to his dressing room – it’s rarely a good sign when you’re being protected from both sets of players. Any hopes of a quiet exit had already long passed.
Tunisia coach Mondher Kebaier grabbed Sikazwe’s arm and pointed to his watch. In the background, Mali’s players complained bitterly about a red card awarded to El Bilal Toure.
It’s unclear what Sikazwe was thinking. The Zambian is an experienced official, having refereed the final of this competition in 2017, two games at the 2018 World Cup and the Club World Cup final in 2016. But to blow up for full-time on 86 minutes and then again before the 90th minute is an astonishing collection of mistakes.
Sikazwe was also provisionally suspended in November 2018 for his handling of a CAF Champions League match on suspicions of corruption, but returned to officiating in January 2019 after Fifa lifted the suspension.
Related Stories
Eventually, there would be no restart. Mali were initially unhappy to retake the field, but did so. Instead it was Tunisia who stayed inside. Although Sikazwe was substituted for a fourth official, we can presume that Tunisia were protesting against the officiating in the first 89 minutes. On that note, an official complaint will surely follow but it’s unclear what else could happen unless CAF sees fit to order a replay due to the loss of three minutes (and that would lead to a counter-claim by Mali).
The early finish was not the only controversy in the game. Both teams were awarded penalties for handball that seemed a little harsh, if not totally outrageous. The same cannot be said for the red card awarded to Toure, after which Sikazwe was advised to check his decision but did not change his mind. At the very least, he should probably check to see if he can get a part refund on his hotel bill in Cameroon.
Timeline of events as Tunisia vs Mali descended into chaos
- 47′: Mali are awarded a penalty when Kiki Kouyate’s shot hits Ellyes Shkiri’s arm, who is booked for protesting
- 74′: Wahbi Khazri’s attempted cross hits Moussa Djenepo’s arm in the penalty area, cue Tunisian protests
- 75′: Referee Janny Sikazwe is advised to review the incident on his pitchside monitor and awards a penalty
- 77′: Khazri eventually takes the spot-kick only to see it saved by Ibrahim Mounkoro
- 85′: Sikazwe blows for full-time, much to the bewilderment of everybody and fury of Tunisia
- 86′: Play resumes
- 87′: Mali substitute El Bilal Toure is harshly sent off for a foul on Dylan Bronn
- 88′: Sikazwe again checks his monitor but this time sticks with his original decision
- 89:42′: Sikazwe blows the full-time whistle as Tunisia launch an attack to try and equalise
- FT: The officials are led off the pitch by security guards as Tunisia’s coaches and players remonstrate with them. Mali’s players later return to the pitch to play the final 18 seconds plus stoppage time but Tunisia refuse to come back out
There are two ways for an international tournament to come alive, and you can pick your choice. Purists might prefer a sensational match between two well-matched teams – think Portugal vs Spain at the 2018 World Cup or Netherlands 3-2 Ukraine at Euro 2020. The more mischievous would take an astonishing farce. When CAF officials entered the Malian press conference to demand that the team re-enter the field and play three extra minutes, it’s fair to say we found farce.
This will clearly provide much japing and joshing, memes featuring Antonio Conte and “one normal day of Afcon”. It will provide a rush of notoriety for a tournament that has been a little too (literally) binary over its first few days with all the 1-0 scorelines. How many people will tune in to other games in hope of further farce?
But jokes aside, this is an awful look for CAF and its flagship tournament. Over the past few weeks, people in positions of cultural authority have urged reflection about how the rest of the world (and in particular Europe) treats the Africa Cup of Nations as an unhelpful mid-season distraction for star players who are required in domestic title races and relegation battles. It is a tournament that deserves to be taken seriously, they say, and they are absolutely right.
Related Stories
Incidents such as these undermine that campaign. They present Afcon as an amateur exercise during which one of its most experienced officials fails to tell the time and thus goes viral for all the wrong reasons. It sets the cause back several paces and several years. It provokes accusations and assumptions of corruption on a continent that continually faces a fight to reverse that reputation. The game of the three final whistles will live long in the memory. It will haunt CAF and Afcon for just as long.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3tkGdRb
Post a Comment